Helen E. McMillan
July 6, 1909 – January 29, 1984
Helen McMillan settled in Austin in 1945 with her husband. She was actively involved with the local Red Cross, the Human Rights Commission, the United Council of Church Women, and the American Legion Post 91 Auxiliary. She served as the president of the Austin League of Women Voters for fifteen years, and from 1953 to 1955, she held the position of president at the state level. At the suggestion of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, her husband encouraged her to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives. In 1962, McMillan became the first woman elected from Mower County. During her twelve years in the Minnesota State House, she championed women’s rights, advocated for education for the mentally ill, and supported advancing vocational rehabilitation activity centers.